EU’s 3rd energy package may run counter to WTO norms, says expert

The Third Energy Package was drafted by the European Commission to boost competition on the European energy market

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MOSCOW, August 22 (Itar-Tass) - EU’s Third Energy Package may have some problematic points as regards compliance with the norms of the World Trade Organization, Maxim Medvedkov, the director of trade negotiations department at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade said in an interview published by the governmental daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta Thursday.

Russian experts have done analysis of the measures envisioned by the Third Energy Package and have spotlighted a number of problematic aspects of the document, Medvedkov said adding: “We’re discussing them with our partners.”

The Third Energy Package was drafted by the European Commission to boost competition on the European energy market. It contains a demand to the energy companies operating in Europe to separate their upstream assets from the power transmission lines and pipelines and to cede the latter downstream elements to independent operators.

Russian analysts say in this connection that excessive competition in the industry may generate extra markups due to the involvement of new companies in the energy resources distribution process and narrow the opportunities for bringing in new investment.